A Multi-Target Assessment of Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Activities of Phenolic Compounds Fractionated from Punica granatum L. Peels Crude Extract

Abstract

Pomegranate peel is recognized as a rich source of phenolic compounds with significant biological activities. In the present study, phenolic constituents were isolated from pomegranate peel crude juice using solid-phase extraction (SPE), followed by fractionation through thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The chemical characterization of the obtained fractions was carried out using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS). The analytical results confirmed the presence of several functional groups, including hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, and aromatic structures. Five major phenolic compounds were identified, namely gallic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin, catechin, and vanillin. The biological activities of these compounds were
systematically evaluated. Ellagic acid demonstrated a pronounced antioxidant capacity, particularly in terms of metal chelation and reducing power, whereas vanillin exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity as determined by the DPPH assay. In addition, gallic acid and ellagic acid showed notable antibacterial effects against the tested bacterial strains. Regarding anticancer activity, catechin
significantly reduced the viability of human breast cancer (MCF-7) and colon cancer (HCT-116) cell lines. Importantly, the safety profile of the studied phenolic compounds was assessed using normal human skin fibroblast (BJ1) cells, where no significant cytotoxic effects were observed at the tested concentrations. These findings support the potential application of pomegranate peel-derived phenolics
as safe and effective natural agents with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties